Okefenokee Swamp

Despite a forecast for all-day rains, Dewin and I drove an hour and a half to a place I have not been since I was a kid - Okefenokee Swamp in Waycross, GA. I remembered nothing about this place, but knew it was full of gators. And so, hopeful that it would be a nice opportunity for some up-close wildlife shots, we took our chances and drove into the gloom.

The second we arrived in the parking lot, raindrops began pelting the asphalt.....not a good sign. But umbrella in hand, we entered the gift shop and paid for our tickets anyway. Fortunately, the rain stopped just before we left the main building to embark on this exciting day! (sarcasm) We had about 20 minutes to kill before the first exhilarating facet of our South Georgia adventure, the fabled traaain ride, so we took our first left off the main walkway, only to find Dewin's worst source of nausea.....caged animals. That's right. We thought this place was all about the WILDlife, but the first stop on our trek was a pit 40 feet across, encompassing a pond no more than 2 feet deep, with 5 big alligators in it. As I tried to assure Dewin that these gators might have been rescues that were unfit for the wild population, and thus needed a lifetime in captivity, another exhibit caught our attention. A short stroll down the walkway revealed a MOST adorable little river otter, munching on a fish's posterior while a hungry vulture looked on. This cute little critter also had a very shallow pond to play in, certainly not what a wild otter is used to. But she seemed extremely fond of her keeper, who came in to shoo the vulture away.



Next up was the train ride. WOW, was this boring. "Up ahead are some wax myrtles"........."There was a fire here 3 years ago".........."On your right you'll see an old moonshine still". Don't waste your money folks. Fortunately the rain held off until the moment we stepped off the train. Huddled together under our umbrella, we rushed over to the "Snack Stand" and proceeded to order what we thought would be a fabulously delicious greasy cheeseburger. Instead we were presented with a miniscule patty of tasteless meat, disguised under cheese that I think was really orange Elmer's glue.

After our second nauseating experience, we noticed the rain had let up and decided to check out the bear viewing area. We had no idea what this would entail, but were soon met by another sad sight.....a single lonely black bear sprawled in front of a dirty glass window, munching away on the grass and clover like there was no tomorrow. We watched the bear for a long time before moving on. Dewin remarked that the bear should have at least had a friend. Admittedly, I don't know the first thing about bear social structures, but it did seem this was a lonely existance for the poor furry goliath.

Now it was time for our hour long boat ride. I suspected this would be the high point of our visit, and I was right. A tall blond boy guided our skiff down a narrow, cypress cloaked waterway that meandered around the park. We saw several alligators on our trip, most of which were only a few feet away, so close we could have reached out and touched them. Eventually, we glided up to a landing platform in the middle of the swamp and were instructed to get off. Down the boardwalk, through the trees, was a 90 foot tall observation tower. Cool! Dewin and I hurried to the base and began our ascension into the sky. At first, the going wasn't so tough, but after a couple minutes, our legs were burning and our lungs felt completely inadequate. Halfway up was a stopping point, so of course we stopped! After catching our breath, and not wanting the other 7 visitors to get ahead of us, we finished our climb to the top. It was beautiful! Trees as far as the eye could see, and ominous storm clouds hanging in the distance. We took several pictures from all different vantage points, and then began the descent.

The hike down began with stiff, burning legs - lactic acid build up from the initial 90 foot climb. I thought to myself, "My legs will really hurt tomorrow!" At the halfway point, Dewin and I paused again to take in the view through the trees. When I started down the steps the second time.......OWWOWOWWWW!!!!! My legs were paralyzed in pain. "Ow, Dewiiiin, my legs really hurt now!" In my mind I was wondering how I was going to get all the way down to the boat! Dewin was giggling at me....until she began her climb down. "OW, BREEEEEE, my legs hurt so bad!!" Now I was laughing at her, and still paralyzed. Stiff legged, we continued to struggle down each step. Gradually, the worst of the pain passed, and I told Dewin it was best not to stop. We just had to walk it out. At last we reached the bottom and realized it's official........we're old now.

We all clamored back in the boat and were on our way once again. Eventually we arrived back at the original landing dock, and it was time to leave the park. We visited the gift shop once more to pick up some souvenirs, and amazingly - that was when the bottom fell out. We ran to the car through a flooding rain, and drove home in one torrential downpour after another. And so, despite the obvious need of this park for a revamping, we had a fun and memorable day....

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Predator In the Woods (A 'Me Too' moment in the wild)

Image
   She grabbed the fanny pack off the passenger seat and fastened it around her waist. Before climbing out of her SUV, she looked inside the bag to make sure it was still there, a compulsory habit since she started carrying a firearm seven years earlier. The Jimenez .380 glinted silently at her. Satisfied, she zipped the bag and glanced over her shoulder through the Ford Escape's rear hatch. She could see a man walking under the oaks towards her vehicle. He was tall, late sixties perhaps, carrying about fifty pounds of extra weight, and clearly dressed for the woods.  She gathered up her camera bag and notebook and stepped out into the muggy August morning to greet him.    "Hey there, you must be Renee!", he called to her, closing the gap between them quickly as she shut the driver's door of her Escape.   She didn't know what was in store for her today, and her anxiety, as usual, was, trying to get the best of her. But she took a deep breath and turned to him as s
Read more

I Can Do It (Our Pioneer Trail adventure)

Image
  "I'd like you to take me ruck-sacking in Jennings Forest."   That was my 77-year-old mother's request as we played Giant Jenga on New Year's Eve.   "OK," I replied as I watched my husband wiggle another block free from the precarious tower on the dining room table. I didn't ponder whether or not my mother should be hiking, though I did wonder if she knew what "ruck-sacking" was. Certainly, I knew she could walk a nature trail, but should she really try doing it in a weighted backpack?   My mother had a stroke last spring. The ER doctors didn't call it that, nor did the attending neurologists in the following days as we waited for her release. But what else could it have been? While raking leaves in her tiny front yard, she began to feel strange. Thinking she had simply gotten overheated, she went inside to rest, but while reading a book in her armchair, the words began to look like hieroglyphics. Wisely, she called 911.   That was the
Read more

A Writing Retreat to Die For (One night on an island in Maine)

Image
  A howling nor’easter wind awoke her in the night. She had left her window cracked to allow a breeze in the small bedroom she was calling home for the next week. Undoubtedly, her fellow writers in the isolated New England cottage had, too, as her bedroom door rattled in its frame each time her curtains fluttered. She rolled over and reached for her phone in the dark. As her fingers grazed the glass, the screen lit up and she saw the time – 2:52 am. She withdrew her arm back under the bedsheet and turned her pillow to the cooler side.    As she tried to fall back asleep, a sudden slam from somewhere in the house made her jump and her eyelids flicked open. She guessed it was the screen door to the front porch, ripped out of someone’s grasp by the gale force winds. But who would be coming and going at nearly 3 am? She thought about how there were no locks on any of the doors – not the front door, nor her bedroom door. Who was that serial killer in Florida that slaughtered coeds? Danny
Read more